


Eternity In An Hour: One Word Prompts

by endlcss_possibilities



Category: Devil May Cry, DmC: Devil May Cry
Genre: M/M, still trying to make this ship popular, still using solely Blake lines for my titles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2019-11-05 02:05:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 2,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17909924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endlcss_possibilities/pseuds/endlcss_possibilities
Summary: "To see a World in a Grain of SandAnd a Heaven in a Wild FlowerHold Infinity in the palm of your handAnd Eternity in an hour"-William Blake~~~These will be short 500 word or less fics based off of one-word writing prompts





	1. Sometimes

Sometimes Nero was endlessly frustrating, days when all V wanted to do was sew the man’s mouth closed.

Sometimes V just wanted to be alone, in complete silence, with just a book to keep him company.

Most of the time, Nero understood and would leave him alone.

But other times, he would sneak in quietly and just lay next to V, not talking, not disturbing the other man, just waiting. 

Waiting until V would start to read aloud, and then he knew that the dark haired man was fine with Nero rolling over and wrapping an arm around his waist. Still quiet, just listening to that velvet voice fill the room, soft but somehow commanding all attention at the same time.

Sometimes Nero was frustrating, but it was times when he understood what V needed at any particular moment, whether that was for Nero to make him laugh and pull him out of his own head, or whether that was for Nero to just lay next to him, quiet, with the fingers of his normal hand running up and down V’s arm while V read.

It was times like those that made V love him.


	2. Believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welp, had to slam some angst out to show how I feel about the latest trailer...  
> I really hope they're just trying really hard to double bluff us about V because hoo boy

“Nero you have to believe me! It was never my aim to betray you! Listen to me!”

“How am I supposed to believe anything you say now?” Nero was absolutely not close to tears, not at all. 

At least, not that he would show V that kind of emotion now.

“Please…” V reached out for Nero’s hand, only for Nero to yank it away sharply. He had yet to look the dark haired man in the eyes, not wanting to see whatever kind of fake regret would be there.

“Nero, I had no choice. You of all people must know how that feels, to be forced into a destiny that you do not want.”

“Stop…”

“I was dying! You can’t fault me for wanting to stay alive, Nero! I truly never intended to go through with this once I got to know you.”

“He’s telling the truth, you know,” Griffon said, solemn for once. “He loves you.”

“God, shut up!” Nero turned away, curling his arms around himself. “That’s not fair…”

He  _ was _ crying now, couldn’t help it, bringing his hands up to cover his face.

“Nero…” Hands curled around his wrists, pulling his hands back and then V’s arms were wrapping around his waist.

And god dammit, he couldn’t stay mad, he just  _ couldn’t _ .

Not when he loved V too...


	3. Gratitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I needed something cute okay???

V couldn’t ever express how grateful he was to Nero.

For many reasons, but mostly for giving him a chance, for giving him a home, for giving him someone to come home  _ to _ .

And did he ever appreciate having a home to come back to, having someone waiting for him to make it home safely.

V just liked having a  _ family _ , end of story.

Especially when that home and that family he was going home to consisted of Nero and Kyrie in the kitchen baking things that smelled far too wonderful to be real.

Nero had a smudge of what looked like flour on his cheek and he half turned to kiss V’s cheek when V impulsively hugged him from behind.

“Whatever are you making that smells so lovely?” He asked and Nero laughed.

“Cinnamon rolls. Kyrie got the recipe from a neighbor and thought the kids would like it. Obviously I got roped into helping.”

“Nero once you heard what I was making, you begged to help!” Kyrie said with a roll of her eyes.

“Only because I’ll get dibs on a roll because I helped!”

“Selfish creature,” Kyrie muttered. “Is that icing done over there?”

“Sure is. Wanna try?” This last part was directed at V, who shrugged and nodded. He moved to get a spoon, but Nero merely dipped a finger into the icing and held it up to V’s mouth.

“Gross, Nero!” 

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” V asked at the same time. 

“What do you think?” 

V sighed, long-suffering, but indulged Nero, leaning in to lick the icing from his finger.

“You are insufferable,” He said once he leaned back, pointedly ignoring Nero’s smug smirk. “But it is good.”

“If you two are done flirting, V do you mind helping with dinner?”

V was sure he would never be able to pay Nero back or even fully show him just how much all of this meant to him.

But he could doing slowly, in small doses, like helping with dinner or even indulging Nero from time to time.

He was sure that Nero understood...


	4. Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ☹️☹️☹️

They showed their love in different ways, often that didn’t involve saying the words themselves.  
Nero made sure that he had V’s back when they were fighting, occasionally pausing to ask V if he was okay.  
V often read aloud to Nero, who would just lean back and listen to V’s voice, letting the melodic sound of it put him to sleep.  
Nero made sure that V was eating enough and getting enough sleep. He’d once confided to Kyrie that he was worried that V wasn’t doing these things and since then, they’d teamed up to make sure that there was always good food to come home to, and they tried to eat together a few times a week.  
When V sensed that Nero was getting too frustrated with something, he would make tea and bring some to Nero, making him stop whatever it was that he was working on to take a break with him.  
When Nero knew that V’s leg was hurting him, he would sometimes just sit down on the floor in front of where V was sitting and give him a foot massage. He often apologized for his prosthetic, so Nico made him one that resembled a normal hand, from the physical look to the feel of it, going so far as to make it near the temperature of a regular hand using Nero’s higher than usual body heat.  
No, they didn’t often have time to fully show that they loved each other, but the small things that they did more than made up for it.


	5. Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just barely squeaked under the 500 word limit for this one lads!
> 
> Also happy final day before DMC 5 comes out! I hope y'all have fun playing it!

Nero had no clue that V could play the piano.

They’d picked up the old piano on a whim when they saw it sitting outside of a ruined church in Fortuna. He and Kyrie had seen it and asked about it, and since the church wasn’t going to be rebuilt, they were told they could just take it.

And Nero could never say no to Kyrie’s pleading puppy dog eyes (could anyone?), so they’d borrowed the Devil May Cry van and left some money with the man they’d talked to even though he’d said they could have it for free.

Nero wouldn’t take no for an answer and for some reason, people just kind of...listened to him? He had no idea why.

So now they had an old piano that no one knew how to play or even how to tune.

Until V had come home and all but lit up with excitement about their newest acquired piece. Nero had never seen him make that face before, but he kind of wanted to find things that did put that look of joy on the dark haired man’s face.

(Kyrie always laughed when Nero said that he wasn’t hopelessly in love with V.)

When Nero mentioned that no one knew how to play it, they’d just taken it because Kyrie had fallen in love with it, V had sat right down and got to work tuning it.

Surprisingly it didn’t take long, despite the piano having sat outside for a while, and being really old.

And then V was coaxing the most beautiful sounds out of the piano, better than any that Nero had heard during his million (very bored) hours of church. He was sure his mouth was hanging open a little, but he didn’t care at all.

“V, that’s amazing!” Kyrie gushed when V stopped, clasping her hands together. “Can you teach me how to play?”

V looked up at Nero, gracing him with the smallest little smile.

“I can very well try. I can teach you too Nero, if you would like.”

“I dunno if my hand could do  _ that _ ,” Nero said, raising his prosthetic hand.

“Course it can!” Nico piped up and they all turned to see her leaning in the doorway. “I mean, I made it after all, don’t insult my craftsmanship!”

Nero huffed but V laughed softly and Nero forced himself to stop pouting and sat down on the piano bench next to the dark haired man.

“Alright, I guess I’ll try…”

And it was worth it for the soft, genuine smile that V gave him, even if Nico told them to get a room because of it.


	6. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you trust me, Nero?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First thing I've written since I picked up the game on Friday and holy shit it's so much fun, I highly recommend! I didn't know how V's play style would go over since I'm so ridiculously terrible at DMC games but he's been my favorite character to play as so far!

_ “Do you trust me, Nero?” _

_ “Yeah.” _

The reply was without hesitation, the firm tone of Nero’s voice sending unexpected little chills down V’s back. Realistically, he knew that he should expect Nero to want to trust him since he had to rely on V to  _ not _ stab him in the back while they were fighting.

Yet V couldn’t quite bring himself to not feel flattered that Nero trusted him.

There was no reason that Nero shouldn’t trust him, since V had made absolutely sure that his alibi was airtight. There was no reason for Nero to go looking behind any curtains, Wizard of Oz style, for the person V actually was.

But Nero was a suspicious person by nature and the fact that he trusted V to watch his back, to put himself in the vulnerable position of trusting another person that he really didn’t know, was quite the reward.

_ “Do you trust me, Nero?” _

And he shouldn’t, everything in Nero was practically screaming at him to not trust this person. He’d done it before, trusted someone only to be let down in the end.

But there was something about V that made Nero ignore his common sense. 

Whether that be his demeanor, his voice, that it was so painfully obvious (even to Nero) that V wanted desperately to be believed in, Nero didn’t know.

All he knew was…

_ “Yeah, I trust you.” _


	7. Tradition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somehow, it had become a habit.

Somehow, it had become a habit.

Of one of them buying the other dinner after a job was done, trading off whose turn it was every time. 

Nero liked more casual diners where they could order a lot for cheap. One of the first things he’d learned very quickly was that using any sort of demonic power made you fucking  _ hungry _ , and he always felt bad making V spend a lot of money just to feed him. 

V, on the other hand, liked more upscale places when they could find them, enjoyed the atmosphere and more quality food. Nero always felt out of place, but somehow V fit right in.

And how could Nero say no when V always looked so elegant surrounded by the nice furniture and soft lighting? 

They were in one of the fancier places that they’d been in a while, so much fancier that V had made them both change into nicer clothes before they’d left the hotel they were staying at. Nero wasn’t one for dressing up but the surprised look on Nico’s face when they’d left had been well worth it.

Also well worth it was just how unfairly  _ pretty _ V looked in that button down shirt. When Nero dressed up, he just felt like he was wearing a costume, playing pretend.

But V looked like he belonged there and Nero could barely look away from those sharp features, which were only highlighted by the fact that V had his hair pulled up in a messy ponytail.

“You are staring.” V’s soft words brought Nero plummeting out of his thoughts and back to reality. He knew that he was blushing and really, he knew of only one way to get revenge on V.

_ “And all that’s best of dark and bright. / Meet in his aspect and his eyes.” _

“Are you quoting-no,  _ misquoting _ Byron at me?” V looked amused but also a bit charmed and Nero smirked and nudged the dark haired man’s foot under the table. 

“You look so nice, I couldn’t resist. Thought I’d give you a taste of your own medicine for a change.”

And because V wasn’t hiding behind his hair, Nero could easily see the faint blush that crept over V’s cheeks.

Yeah, he could get used to this tradition, even if it meant he had to dress nicely once in a while.

_ He walks in beauty, like the night. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously the poem that Nero is (mis)quoting here is "She Walks In Beauty" by Lord Byron. Felt like changing it up from Blake for once lol


	8. Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I walked abroad in a snowy day..."

“Look, it’s snowing!” Nero glanced up from under the car that he was helping Nico fix. 

Past the closed garage door, he could make out soft flakes drifting slowly down from the grey sky.

“No wonder it’s so fucking cold,” He said. “Let’s finish this and coerce Kyrie into making some soup!”

“Always thinking about food, ain’tcha?” Nico teased, deftly avoiding the wrench Nero threw at her. “I’ll rip off your other arm if you keep that up.”

~~~

By the time they’d finished up, the hand that Nero could actually feel was burning with cold and he rubbed it against his leg to coax feeling back into his numb fingers.

“Hey, why is V outside?” 

“Huh?”

Nico merely pointed past Nero to the window. Nero could see V’s slim figure, more bundled up than usual (thank God the man wasn’t dumb enough to go outside in this with his usual outfit on), just standing there, hands in his pockets.

Grumbling, Nero detoured to poke his head out the door.

“ _ I walked abroad in a snowy day… _ ” V’s soft voice broke the hush of the cold air, not turning towards Nero, but obviously aware that he was there. “ _ I asked the soft snow with me to play… _ ”

He finally turned to look at Nero, snowflakes dusting his dark hair.

“Aren’t you cold?” Nero asked.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” V replied airily. “I am glad I had some warmer clothing, however, so that I could enjoy this sight.”

“It probably won’t last long,” Nero pointed out. 

“Which is why it is worth watching now, yes?” There were snowflakes catching in V’s eyelashes and honestly, Nero was the biggest sucker in the world. Instead of arguing, he just sighed and turned to look out at the ocean, grey sky on grey waves. 

Slim fingers interlaced with those of Nero’s human hand and when he turned to look at V, the dark haired man gave him a slight smile that had no business making Nero’s heart jump as much as it did.

V glanced back out away from Nero at the snow still swirling lazily through the air.

“ _ The only other sound’s the sweep _

_ Of easy wind and downy flake. _

_ The woods are lovely, dark and deep,    _

_ But I have promises to keep, _

_ And miles to go before I sleep.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first poem V quotes is part of "Soft Snow" by William Blake, and the ending poem is from "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, which is also one of my favorites. It doesn't quite make sense since Fortuna is an island but eh whatever
> 
> Also if you guys ever wanna yell with me about DMC, feel free to hit up my Discord (Megan#0324) or my Twitter (megan_h19). I know some people haven't finished the game yet so if you want to talk about spoiler-y stuff, I'm always down for that!


	9. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Even though you lost your arm, you were still able to fight, to keep going. I have lost everything that enables me to fight. Without them, I am all but useless. Like this, I am nothing but a burden to you.”

“V, we have to keep going. Weren’t you all gung-ho about this before? You can’t let a little set back keep you from getting what you want!” Nero crouched down next to where V was sitting. “I know what losing something important to you feels like! I know what feeling powerless is like and you know I understand that!”

“This is different…” V said softly. 

“How, exactly?”

“Even though you lost your arm, you were still able to fight, to keep going. I have lost everything that enables me to fight. Without them, I am all but useless. Like this, I am nothing but a burden to you.”

“Dammit V, you can’t just give up like that!” Nero caught the man’s chin, forcing his head up to meet his eyes. He had to admit, V looked drastically different without his tattoos and with white hair. More fragile somehow, especially with that lost look in his eyes. “You dragged me all the way here, you can’t just fucking give up on me like this! I don’t care if you’re useless or if you think you’re useless, we’re gonna finish this thing!”

V was staring at him, those dark eyes wide with disbelief. But once Nero set his mind to something, he saw it through, and he hadn’t come this far (especially after Dante’s “dead weight” comment) just to give up now because of a little set back.

“Nero-”

“No, don’t you ‘Nero’ me now. We’re going to keep going, whether I have to drag you or not, understand?”

“If you insist…” V still didn’t look wholly persuaded, but at least he hadn’t flat out refused to keep going. Nero helped him to his feet, being careful to be gentle. “Why are you doing this?”

“Why am I helping you?”

“Why aren’t you giving up on me? Others would have by now, I think.”

“Hey, you guys dragged me into this, I’m not letting you out so easily,” Nero said jokingly. “Seriously though, you helped me so I’m gonna help you.”

“I helped you?”

“Yeah, pull my head out of my ass,” Nero’s tone had turned slightly joking again. “I think I would have just kept sulking instead of actually  _ doing _ something if you hadn’t made me keep going. And I appreciate that, trust me, I do. I don’t think I would’ve listened to Dante if you and he were switched. You’re a damn persuasive guy, V.”

V didn’t respond right away, not looking at Nero, and for a while the only sound was that of his cane tapping against the multicolored ground of the Qliphoth. 

Nero had almost given up on getting a response and had chalked it up to V being V, stoic as usual.

But after a moment:

_ “ _ _ 'Hope' is the thing with feathers— _

_ That perches in the soul— _

_ And sings the tune without the words— _

_ And never stops—at all—” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poem quoted is "Hope Is The Thing With Feathers" by Emily Dickinson.

**Author's Note:**

> The list I'm using:  
> https://writersgonnawrite.com/2015/11/10/120-one-word-writing-prompts/
> 
> Title and poetry in the summary from Auguries of Innocence by William Blake


End file.
